Mark Jackson: Coaching the Warriors ‘an Assignment from God’

Grantland caught up with the Golden State Warriors’ new head coach, who claims that God sent him to run the team: “Have you been able to devote more time to the ministry because of the lockout? ‘My wife and I are co-pastors at a church in L.A., so it’s really been a blessing for me, being able to be with my wife and kids and being able to be with my church family. Right now I’m sitting in a hospital. My church was hit with tragedy. A mom is fighting for her life upstairs with burns all over her body, and a 9-year-old kid was killed in the crash. The dad called me and, thankfully, I was 30 seconds away and able to be there. It’s extremely tough, but if there’s a season, I’m not there.’ Do you have to put your pastor duties aside once the NBA season starts? ‘I never put it aside. It’s a full-time call. My wife is the co-pastor, and I’m a man of tremendous faith. I believe that me being the head coach of the Golden State Warriors is an assignment from God. I look at it from both positions. The Bible says to whom much is given, much is required. So I don’t believe the pressures on me to perform both positions. Were you able to devote time to being a pastor when you were an analyst for ABC and ESPN? ‘I’ve done it every Sunday for the last two and a half years, with the exception of Sunday games on ABC and when there would be Sunday playoff games.'”